First Lady Michelle Obama chose not to wear a veil during her visit with President Obama to Saudi Arabia Wednesday.
Good for her. We don’t’ cover our women here in the United States. Unlike in Saudi Arabia, American women are first class citizens. I’m glad she made the point.
The Saudis also made their point, ostentatiously refusing to shake her hand in the receiving line. Apparently, Saudi men are not supposed to touch women to whom they are not related. So, many of them just nodded to her after shaking Obama’s hand. The new King Salman apparently didn’t acknowledge her at all.
But according to the White House, exceptions to the rule have been made for officials like Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton, and Angela Merkel.
We get plenty of lectures about not respecting other people’s cultures, but we often do our best. The Saudi leaders arrive here dressed in their pajamas and make our presidents walk along with theirs holding hands like a pair of little girls, as is the Saudi custom. The Saudis should have shown some respect themselves, and shook the first lady’s hand if they were going to go through a receiving line.
39 thoughts on “Michelle Dissed by Feudal Saudis”
So, I guess a round of “selfies” was out of the question.
But she wore a head covering when she & Obama visited Indonesia. I don’t know when it was, but I can find the picture if you want to see it. She also wore a head covering and was dressed all in black when the family (the girls were with them) visited the Vatican and met the Pope a number of years ago.
Photos of her head scarf in Indonesia and her black lace veil at the Vatican are in this article:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2928539/Michelle-Obama-not-imprssed-Lady-covered-head-toe-manages-pull-faces-Saudi-Arabia-leaving-India-early.html
I cannot believe she did not give one of her stern looks to these men who showed such disrespect.
If I visit your house of worship and everyone is expected to cover their heads, then I will do so, too.
If I visit your home and everyone is expected to remove their shoes, then I will do so, too.
Common courtesy, good manners is not just for the little people; our leaders must show respect for the manners and modes of the foreign countries they visit.
MrsO wears evening gowns when she hosts state dinners, she wears black frocks at funerals, so is it really asking too much for her to put a scarf on her head while visiting Islamic countries?
Thank you! She is representing We The People….when she is no longer FLOTUS, then she can do anything she darn well wants to, but when she is representing me……………….!!!
Piano girl, please be careful about saying s/he represents US. S/he does not represent me in any way, shape or fashion. S/he is as racist as can be which is not representative of me. S/he is also transgendered, so s/he does not represent. S/he is an unintelligent equal opportunity student and I was not. I could go on but I’m confident you get the point. S/he does not represent the United States of America.
For what it’s worth, this article has photos of Laura Bush in 2008 and Shrillary in 1999 visiting Saudi Arabia, both with heads uncovered:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2930013/Obamas-land-DC-whirlwind-Saudi-Arabia-Michelle-s-outfit-comes-scrutiny.html
Could it be that the Saudis have become more fundamental over the years since 2008, and definitely since 1999? Didn’t women in Saudi Arabia use to be able to drive, go to university, and work in careers many years ago?
But I still say that Michelle was wearing a head cover——her wig hat! The Saudis just didn’t realize that it was a full head cover.
Thanks for the reminder. I almost forget s/he wears a wig. Yes, by my standards, that can certainly be considered a head covering.
Yes, it is too much. Saudi women wear a burka with face covering in public — should Mrs. Obama have done that?
These “customs” are signs of hyper-sexualizing normal human relations — a woman must hide her presence with symbolic coverings — more like being “tarped” than “veiled.”
I wonder if anyone will ever ask them about 9-11-2001?
I am not a big defender of Moochelle, but this may be the first thing she’s done that I approve of.
and it’s a little hypocritical for some of you guys to be complaining that she should have worn a headscarf. I can only imagine what you would have said if she had!
now having said that: it’s apparently standard for American women NOT to wear headscarves when they visit Saudia Arabia. so while Mooch did the right thing, IMHO, she shouldn’t win a Nobel Prize for it or anything.
I agree 100% on every point.
At least she could have put a more pleasant look on her face.
S/he always presents her/his usual face: disenchanted by everything, which includes him/her being a prisoner in the WH. S/he is a gender confused individual who only regards him/herself in high regards.
Totally agree with Michelle on this. It was a brave stand that she took for all Saudi women…
She n is not an elected official of our government. What she wears, does, says are all irrelevant.
I agree, Keith.
I detest Michelle but she should not have covered her head. I do think that she could have worn black or a dark color.
Americans should not have to cover their heads ever unless it is raining or freezing.
Not sure if this has been posted here yet but it’s a good article:
http://thefederalist.com/2015/01/27/obama-keeps-bowing-in-the-middle-east/
But surely there is some kernel of moral duty among American leaders to promote liberal values around the world. Juxtapose how this administration treats allies; how the president admonishes and undermines an elected leader he doesn’t particularly care for and, at the same time, reveres and celebrates the life of a degenerate dictator. King Abdullah had “about” 30 wives, and fathered “about” 35 children, according to sources. Some of them were only young teens when they were forced to wed the then middle-aged King. Some of these women remained prisoners for many decades against their will. Considering the human trafficking and white slavery that is generally overlooked by the monarchs, perhaps he really is a moderate. The freshly deceased King Abdullah, says the president, was “a candid leader who had the courage of his convictions, including his passionate belief in the importance of the U.S.-Saudi relationship as a force for stability and security in the Middle East.”
While this administration is having a meltdown over the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu will be speaking to congress about the threat Iranian nuclear ambitions, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is sponsoring an essay competition in the United States to Honor former Saudi King. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Frederick M. Padilla, the president of the National Defense University, want to challenge future students “while honoring the late king.” “This scholarly research competition presents NDU students with a unique opportunity to focus their research and writing efforts on relevant issues at the intersection of U.S. security interests and the Arab-Muslim world,” the release said.
It’s fair to say that every administration has gone out of its way to avoid insulting these immoral dictatorships. It’s just that so few have been as consistent and obsequious as this one.
Thank you for speaking the facts!
I just want to point out that the text of my comment was a quote from the article. I was too lazy to put it in a blue quote box, but I should have used quotation marks,
Obama is having a meltdown because he wants Israel to get rid of Netanyahu just like he wanted Egypt to get rid of Mubarak and he wants Syria to get rid of their leader also? For what reason? These are his main concerns? He’s not worried about the Talaban or ISIS. He runs to the Saudis, when they are responsible for 3000 murders in New York on September 11, 2001? He could care less about the welfare of the people, his only concern is getting even with his fantasy enemies, Netanyahu for one, the only real friend we have in the Middle East? What will it take to impeach him? The republicans don’t care what MOST of the American people want and that is to get rid of him. We had an election and Boehner is still giving in to Obama on most issues. It will take a civil war to end this nightmare. And Hillary Clinton is on deck with all Obama’s tricks to try to turn us all into communists next? She’s not announcing yet because she thinks that if she plays hard to get that it will help her chances. If she runs she will win only with fraud and lots of lies. Benghazi 4 men dead, they begged many times for help and she said no, which has never before been done in our history to say no to asking for help. Remember that when you vote.
Thought I’d mention, Laura Bush didn’t wear one either.
Neither did Hillary. The photos of Laura Bush in Saudi Arabia in 2008 and Hillary in 1999 are in that second Daily Mail article I linked above. Also, Condi Rice and Pelosi were there, with no head coverings.
I think this is much ado about nothing, (although, I do think Michelle should have skipped the bright blue blouse and bright patterned jacket).
Btw, it just killed Chris Mathews that Ted Cruz tweeted his support for Michelle on this issue:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2015/01/28/chris-matthews-its-unfortunate-ted-cruz-praised-michelle-obama-not
For the first time in a long time, I agree with the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/world/middleeast/michelle-obama-praised-for-bold-stand-she-did-not-take.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=fb-nytimes&bicmst=1409232722000&bicmet=1419773522000&smtyp=aut&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&_r=0
No big whoop.
I think she should have just “stayed home” like she has done so many other times when it was proper for her to show her face.
Why DID she go?
The One and The Woman were on a trip to India — there must have been something there that she wanted to see. The trip was cut short by the need to go to Saudi Arabia and express condolences.
I wonder why it is all right for Islam to practice segregation.
I just saw a picture on Drudge. She wore pants as well!
The early reports said that the Saudis were also displeased by the very brightly colored coat she was wearing–at a solemn, funereal occasion. And let’s face it, she has trouble with that–her brilliant cocktail dress that she wore in daytime to meet military parents who’d lost a son (IIRC) and of course her brilliant turquoise coat for the laying of the wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier–the only person in the whole scene who was wearing anything but somber black or dark gray. This IS Michelle. Wearing a kind of weird cardigan to meet the Queen Elizabeth.
Neither Obama knows about protocol; there’s Michelle laying her hands on the Queen, who deftly stepped aside; Obama toasting stupidly at the wrong time and talking through their national anthem; Obama chewing gum, open mouthed etc. And, more to the point here, Obama bowing low to the old king and now the new.
The early releases said she was intensely not wanting to cut short her junket to India before we could pay her trip to the Taj Mahal.
So if Mrs. Obama was, if anything, making a statement to the Saudis; but while her husband is bowing and scraping and exactly contradicting himself on the Saudi record on human rights, sharia, and especially rights for women–he was so vehement against the Saudis while campaigning, but now he says we have to go slow and be careful.
She was just trying to piss off the Saudis, since she gladly wore a head covering elsewhere. And as for her clothes, she almost always dresses inappropriately with no sense of occasion.
The early reports said that the Saudis were also displeased by the very brightly colored coat she was wearing–at a solemn, funereal occasion. And let’s face it, she has trouble with that–her brilliant cocktail dress that she wore in daytime to meet military parents who’d lost a son (IIRC) and of course her brilliant turquoise coat for the laying of the wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier–the only person in the whole scene who was wearing anything but somber black or dark gray. This IS Michelle. Wearing a kind of weird cardigan to meet the Queen Elizabeth.
Neither Obama knows about protocol; there’s Michelle laying her hands on the Queen, who deftly stepped aside; Obama toasting stupidly at the wrong time and talking through their national anthem; Obama chewing gum, open mouthed etc. And, more to the point here, Obama bowing low to the old king and now the new–who left him standing there like an idiot because it was time to go to prayers. The Saudis knew what time it was. That was not an accident.
The early releases said she was intensely not wanting to cut short her junket to India before we could pay her trip to the Taj Mahal.
So if Mrs. Obama was, if anything, making a statement to the Saudis; but while her husband is bowing and scraping and exactly contradicting himself on the Saudi record on human rights, sharia, and especially rights for women–he was so vehement against the Saudis while campaigning, but now he says we have to go slow and be careful.
She was just trying to piss off the Saudis, since she gladly wore a head covering elsewhere. And as for her clothes, she almost always dresses inappropriately with no sense of occasion.
Sorry for double post, I got an error message the first time. the first one can be deleted, if anyone cares to. Sorry.
+++++++
Content Encoding Error
The page you are trying to view cannot be shown because it uses an invalid or unsupported form of compression.
Please contact the website owners to inform them of this problem.
Maybe she will stop hating her own country for a minute
That will never happen. At least not in my lifetime.
I suppose the few men who did shake her hand must believe the rumour that (s)he’s really a guy.
“We don’t’ cover our women here in the United States.”
Keith,
Did you mean “women do not cover themselves” here in the United States?
We’re not yer wimminz.
Just sayin.
C
I have to disagree with your view on the Saudi’s reception. First this is their Country – out of respect, just as women at the Vatican chapel would cover their heads out of respect for Catholics – it isn’t the big deal to cover your head in Saudi Arabia. If I chose to live there – I would have to adhere. We live in a very free society (which I love) but that doesn’t mean we have to resurrect “the ugly American label” just to prove our women run the show! For the Obamas – Barack kisses the “okole” of Islam leaders – so isn’t it only right his wife should too!
Keith, I rarely disagree with you, but unfortunately, I am over this particular issue. In no way, did s/he Obama even attempt to extend her hand and she mostly failed to acknowledge those that walked past her/him. They can get Obama to walk hand in hand when they come here, but that’s because Obama is a weak, unintelligent buffoon. Obviously, they know that about him. Conversely, while in their ‘kingdom,’ they are not required to acknowledge the little Mr. Personally, I can’t acknowledge him/her either.
Comments are closed.